Changes over May 2016 Visa Bulletin

Employment-Based Cut-off Date Changes for JUNE Compared to Last Month’s Visa Bulletin

Preference Category

Chargeability

Change From Last Month’s

Visa Bulletin

EB-1

Current Across All Chargeability Areas

EB-2

All Chargeability Areas

Current

China

Retrogresses 32 months

India

Retrogresses 4+ years

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

Current

Mexico

Current

Philippines

Current

EB-3

All Chargeability Areas

No Change

China

Retrogresses 3½+ years

El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras

No Change

India

Advances 3 weeks

Mexico

No Change

Philippines

Advances 11 weeks

Relevant U.S. State Department Commentary

D. RETROGRESSION OF SEVERAL FAMILY-SPONSORED AND EMPLOYMENT-BASED FINAL ACTION DATES FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE FAMILY-SPONSORED:

CHINA F4: The increased level of applicant demand being received has necessitated retrogression of the June final action date, in an effort to hold number use within the overall China Family-sponsored annual limit. At this time, it is not possible to predict whether this date will advance prior to the end of the fiscal year.

INDIA F4: The increased level of applicant demand being received has necessitated retrogression of the June final action date, in an effort to hold number use within the overall India Family-sponsored annual limit. This date is not expected to advance prior to the end of the fiscal year.

EMPLOYMENT-BASED:

INDIA E2: During the past two months, there have been extremely high levels of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This has necessitated retrogression of the Second preference final action date for the month of June in an effort to hold number use within the FY-2016 annual limit. This date is expected to advance slowly during the last three months of the fiscal year, at a pace consistent with that of the India Employment-based Third preference date.

CHINA E2 and E3: During the past two months, there have been extremely high levels of Employment-based demand for adjustment of status cases filed with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. This has necessitated retrogression of both the Second and Third preference final action dates for the month of June in an effort to hold number use within those FY-2016 annual limits. Neither of these dates is expected to advance prior to the end of the fiscal year.

Item D of the May Visa Bulletin advised readers that such corrective action might be necessary to control future number use during the coming months. Every effort will be made to return the retrogressed dates to those listed in the May 2016 Visa Bulletin as quickly as possible, once the FY-2017 annual limits take effect October 1, 2016. Speculation on how quickly, or when, a full recovery might occur might not be possible until late summer.